10:55pm: The Cowboys have until July 15 to work out a multiyear take care of Pickens, nevertheless it doesn’t appear that can occur. “We’ve made a choice that we’re going to have George Pickens (play under the franchise tag),” executive vice chairman Stephen Jones said Wednesday (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “There won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”
Barring a 180 from the Cowboys, Pickens is in line to grow to be the primary NFLer to play under the tag since Bengals receiver Tee Higgins did so in 2024. Pickens has yet to sign his franchise tender, though, and it’s unclear if he’ll participate of their offseason program (per Machota). Pickens can be the fifth Cowboy to play on the tag since 2018, as DeMarcus Lawrence (2018), Dak Prescott (2020), Dalton Schultz (2022) and Tony Pollard preceded the wide receiver here.
11:24am: The Cowboys have made little progress on a long-term take care of wide receiver George Pickens, who’s currently tied to a $27.3MM salary cap for the 2026 season.
“They’re nowhere with George Pickens at once,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Get Up ESPN on Wednesday. “They are usually not really talking about an extension. They’re not near an extension. They are usually not getting a deal done at this cut-off date.”
Pickens, 25, arrived in Dallas last offseason via a trade with the Steelers. He put up career-highs of 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns, leading the Cowboys and rating among the many league’s top-10 receivers in each category.
With the wide receiver market eclipsing $40MM, Pickens’ production arrange an inevitable franchise tag. The Cowboys have repeatedly indicated they would really like to work out a long-term deal, however the four-year veteran can have an aggressive ask. Dallas is also comfortable with the value of his franchise tag and plan to see if Pickens can recreate his production. That will arrange a good dearer franchise tag and/or multiyear extension in 2027, though any regression could perhaps result in a less expensive deal. That also feels unlikely given Pickens’ ascendance and the ever-rising price of premium receiver talent, nevertheless it is definitely possible.
The Cowboys may consider choosing a top wideout on this weekend’s draft to provide themselves multiple options for his or her receiver room within the short- and long-term.
“That situation is just sitting on the market,” Schefter adds. “And the Cowboys are said to actually like [Arizona State wide receiver] Jordyn Tyson.”
Tyson’s stock has risen significantly since his workout in front of several teams, who at the moment are more confident about his medical history. The Cowboys would probably must use their first first-round pick (No. 12 overall) to get him, if he even falls that far. They’ve been linked to a trade into the highest 10, but those reports have generally indicated that Dallas would make such a move for an elite defender, not an offensive skill player.